The rhythm of global trade will continue to evolve in 2026. Whilst more than 90% of world trade depends on trade finance, according to the Asian Development Bank, a $2.5 trillion funding gap still limits real economic activity and corporate growth. At the same time, global investable wealth has never been greater and is expected to exceed $481 trillion by 2030, according to PwC’s 2025 Global Asset and Wealth Management Report. It is becoming abundantly clear that the real issue is not capital availability, but rather how effectively that capital can be mobilised.

Regulated tokenisation of trade-related financial instruments is expected to create new opportunities in 2026, connecting abundant capital directly to trade finance while maintaining the regulatory safeguards that institutions and corporates require.

Looking ahead, we expect several trends to shape how the digitisation of finance is going to unfold over the coming year.

Regulatory frameworks pave the way for scalable digital finance

Throughout 2025, regulators made significant strides in clarifying the treatment of tokenised real-world assets and distinguishing them from cryptocurrencies, a trend that is set to accelerate across jurisdictions in 2026. Real-world asset tokens are increasingly being recognised as financial instruments under existing regulatory frameworks, and this approach is expected to gain further traction as regulators continue to prioritise clarity, compliance, and institutional adoption.

This defines the regulatory perimeter more concretely for 2026. Tokenisation platforms and operators are generally required to hold a financial services license, with mandatory AML/KYC/CTF and sanctions screening. Compliance obligations now extend across reporting, custody, settlement, and full alignment with financial instrument laws, providing institutions with the legal certainty they need to deploy capital at scale.

Real-world asset tokenisation reaches new heights, unlocking new trade finance opportunities

Tokenisation is scaling with real momentum in 2026. The total value of tokenised real-world assets surged from $1.153 billion in January 2023 to $18.75 billion in December 2025 – a compound annual growth rate of 123% over that time period. This growth signals that the market is entering a new phase of mainstream financial integration in 2026 with catalytic implications for financing cross-border trade.

Emergence of tokenised structured notes to finance cross-border transactions

In 2025, tokenised fixed income instruments, spanning US Treasuries, non-US government debt, corporate bonds, and private credit, saw rapid adoption, with total volume expanding 192% year on year from $3.98 billion in December 2024 to $1.61 billion in December 2025.

This preference for tokenised fixed income is likely to expand in 2026 into structured notes, creating innovative solutions for trade finance. Tokenised structured notes are digitally native financial instruments whose payoffs can be linked to underlying trade receivables. For example, a company’s receivables from cross-border shipments can be packaged into a structured note, which is then issued, settled, and traded on a regulated tokenisation transaction venue.

Equity tokenisation unlocking new funding opportunities for SMEs

Tokenised private equity volumes surged 535% in 2025, rising from $55 million in January to $349 million by December. In 2026, we expect this momentum to continue, driven by growing allocations from both institutional and retail investors. For SMEs, this trend creates new opportunities to raise capital by tokenising part or all of their cap table, providing broader investor access and more flexible, efficient funding options.

Tokenised deposits enable liquidity transfer globally in real time

In 2026, tokenised deposits backed 1:1 by bank deposits are poised to move from pilot programs to institutionally scaled deployments, and the subsequent implications for cross-border flows are profound. Tokenised deposits allow corporates and financial institutions to transfer liquidity globally in real time, bypassing the delays and costs of traditional correspondent banking networks. 2026 could mark the year digital cash truly becomes global cash, reshaping how capital moves across borders and integrating tokenised liquidity into the core of institutional finance.

In 2026, digitised capital markets are moving from promise to scale. Institutional adoption of tokenised real-world assets and stablecoins is set to deepen liquidity, accelerate settlement, and streamline cross-border capital flows, creating new, direct pathways to fund global trade finance.